Steve Carlson Moves Into Registrar Position

After serving his role in Career Services for the past 13 years, Steve Carlson is stepping up to fill the main registrar position.

Student Affairs has been looking for someone to replace Todd Norris since he left in September.

According to Jim Swanson, the Vice President of Student Affairs and Academic Services, Student Affairs generally tries to promote current employees before they look for new people to hire.Swanson sees this particular move as “an opportunity to put the right person in the right place,” since Carlson fits the position well.

Carlson’s previous work in career services involved two different areas: career counseling and career preparation.

The counseling aspect of his job consisted of helping students decide what to do; he helped them match their gifts and interests with majors and careers that would fit them.

Carlson also prepared students for the transition into the job market by helping students write résumés, prepare for interviews, and find employers.

In the future, these two functions of career services will be divided between two people. Student Affairs is still looking to hire someone as a career counselor, while Deea Breeden, the current student employment coordinator, will take over job preparation in career services.

Even though Student Affairs plans to hire a new career counselor, Carlson will still be supervising both functions of career services. According to Swanson, this set-up will not require any budget cuts; it works well because both the registrar and the career services offices are already under the supervision of Student Affairs. Student Affairs has the freedom to move people from position to position as needed.

When asked what he wants to do with the new registrar position, Carlson expressed his desire to serve both students and faculty well. Elma Sherman, who already works in the registrar’s office, thinks that Carlson’s skill with handling details makes him a good choice for the position. Also, she said his “tender heart and caring spirit” will be helpful in working with students.

Scott Shaffer, the current assistant registrar, says that Carlson’s “unique perspective” and “cutting edge understanding of the job market” will make him a great addition to the team.

Carlson says that he wants to build on the good work that Norris accomplished while he worked here. The current registrar staff needs to “be applauded,” Carlson said, “for all the hard work they’ve done while being short-staffed.”

Carlson looks forward to working with a “great team,” and his new responsibilities.